AAA expects 39.1M Memorial drivers

AAA said on May 11 that 45 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over Memorial Day weekend, with 39.1 million of them going by car. The forecast covers Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25, and would set a Memorial Day travel record, according to the motor club. Gasoline prices are also elevated: AAA’s fuel tracker showed a national average of $4.564 for regular on May 21. In California, where prices are the highest in the country, Bay Area drivers are also being warned to expect long backups on the usual holiday routes. ### How many people are AAA and its partners expecting on the road? AAA’s May 11 forecast said 39.1 million travelers will drive over the five-day holiday window, accounting for about 87% of all Memorial Day travelers. The organization said total travel volume is expected to edge above 2025’s 44.8 million and set a new high for the holiday. (newsroom.aaa.com) INRIX, which worked with AAA on the forecast, said the travel period runs from Thursday, May 21, to Monday, May 25. ABC News, citing INRIX, reported that Friday traffic is expected to be heaviest from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., while Monday return traffic is expected to be worst from noon to 5 p.m. ### Why are so many people still driving with gas this expensive? (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA’s fuel page showed regular gasoline at a national average of $4.564 on May 21. NewsNation, citing AAA data, reported that every state was above $4 a gallon as of May 20, with California at about $6.15 and Georgia at about $4.01. AAA’s travel forecast still showed driving as the dominant choice despite those prices. (inrix.com) Claims Journal, citing AAA data and GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan, reported that people generally do not want to cut holiday travel even when fuel costs rise. ### Where is the Bay Area likely to jam first? The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Memorial Day traffic is expected to build at the usual California choke points, including Pacheco Pass, Highway 101 bottlenecks and Altamont Pass routes feeding Interstate 5. (gasprices.aaa.com) Search snippets from the Chronicle article also said Bay Area airport traffic remains heavy, even as some short-haul travelers may choose to drive instead. (claimsjournal.com) NBC Bay Area, citing AAA, separately reported that the broader Memorial Day period is expected to bring record travel nationwide. That combination — high national road volume and concentrated Bay Area exit routes — points to the familiar pattern of delays starting before drivers reach their longer-distance destinations. This is an inference based on the travel forecast and the Chronicle’s route-specific reporting. (sfchronicle.com) ### What do the numbers say about the cost of a road trip? AAA’s May 21 national average of $4.564 means a 15-gallon fill-up costs about $68.46 before any local markup, based on a simple multiplication. In California, using the roughly $6.15 statewide average cited by NewsNation, the same fill-up would cost about $92.25. Fox40 and related reports said the all-50-states-above-$4 threshold comes just as the summer driving season begins. (nbcbayarea.com) That raises the cost of even relatively short weekend trips, particularly for Bay Area drivers starting from one of the country’s highest-priced fuel markets. ### When are the worst hours expected to hit? (gasprices.aaa.com) ABC News, citing INRIX, said drivers leaving on Friday, May 22, should aim to depart before 11 a.m., with the worst congestion expected from late morning into the evening. For the return trip on Monday, May 25, INRIX said the best time to leave is before 10 a.m., ahead of the heaviest noon-to-5 p.m. traffic window. (fox40.com) AAA’s forecast period continues through Monday, May 25. Bay Area drivers looking for route-specific updates will be tracking the usual corridors — Pacheco Pass, Highway 101 and Altamont Pass — as holiday traffic builds through the weekend. (newsroom.aaa.com) (abcnews.com)